Erythronium americanum is also called Adder’s Tongue or Dogtooth Violet, depending on who you’re talking to. It is in the lily family, not the violet family and it is one of my favorite spring flowers.

It is easy to overlook for it is small and quite subtle. It blooms in early spring through the leaves from last fall and for me, is like a little ray of sunshine on the tired, rusty colored ground.

It is one of those little plants that children find while playing in the woods and as adults we often have fond memories attached to them. For me, this was a plant my grandmother loved and that we had in the woods behind the house I grew up in here in Hyannis. I don’t know how many of these sweet plants actually survive in Hyannis these days but look in forgotten swampy type places to see if you can find any. Here’s a link with more information about the trout lily.